郭廷以(1904-1975)先生是中國近代史研究巨擘，於1955年受命籌備中央究院近代史研究所，並擔任近史所首任所長。郭廷以先生的後人，為紀念先生的卓越學術貢獻並持續推動近代史研究，成立「郭廷以基金會」，並捐款於中央究院近代史研究所設立「郭廷以學術講座」，每兩年舉辦一次，邀請全球知名學者擔任講座。 第二屆郭廷以學術講座於2017年10月17、19日舉行，邀請到美國哈佛大學William C. Kirby教授擔任講座。Kirby教授以The World of Universities in the 21th Century為題發表兩場演講，以19世紀德國的大學及20世紀美國的大學為例，說明全球大學教育的歷史與趨勢，並放眼21世紀的中國高等教育的現況與未來。本書即根據第二屆郭廷以學術講座演講內容修改而成。
German universities established the foundations of modern universities everywhere in the 19th century. American universities had enormous international influence by the end of the 20th century. What then are the prospects for Chinese universities to set global standards in the 21st century? This lecture series will be based on eight case studies of universities on three continents. These lectures will investigate the past and present as well as the future prospects of leading universities in Germany, the United States, and Greater China. It will explore the role of faculty, finances, and governance in what makes for a great university. It will examine and assess three systems of higher education that have defined, or promise to define, excellence in higher education.